Daily... and since 2013... Weekly (hopefully) photos of Miami, Florida, USA. However, be amply warned!!! Sometimes, I tell the truth, other times, I may not. Sometimes, I am joking, other times, I may be serious. It may be hard for you to tell... So if I offend you, I am joking or not telling you the truth. But my photos are all real because I do not doctor them.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Lotus seeds or Lotus nuts are the seeds of plants in the genus Nelumbo, particularly the species Nelumbo Nucifera. The seeds are of great importance to East Asian cuisine and are used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine and in Chinese desserts. The seeds are most commonly sold in the shelled and dried form. Fresh lotus seeds are relatively uncommon in the market except in areas of lotus root and seed production, where they are sometimes sold as a raw snack

Two types of dried lotus seeds can be found commercially; brown peel and white. The former is harvested when the seed head of the lotus is ripe or nearly ripe and the latter is harvested when the seed head is still fully green, but with almost fully developed seeds, as it is seen in this photo from Tog's pond. I can't grow lotus in my yard because some night prowler creatures always come to eat all the plants, starting with their roots. White lotus seeds are de-shelled and de-membraned. The bitter tasting ( I know how bitter this is because I tried to taste it) germ of the seed is also removed at the time of harvest using a hollow needle, though some may still remain in the seed due to production oversight, and this is BAD! Brown peel lotus seeds are brown because the ripened seed has adhered to its membrane. These seeds are usually cracked in half in order to remove the germ since the seeds are hard enough to make the germs' removal by needle difficult. In Vietnam, "two-sweet" candied lotus seeds are a must have for the New Year celebration.